Tips & Games

This section has short tips to give you different ways to use your cards. Have a play around with these tips and game ideas but use the lessons as well for more in-depth instruction.

If you have an idea for a way people can use the cards, let us know here and we can publish your idea on this list.

1. MEMORIZE GUITAR TAB:

Slide through the cards right to left so you can just see the TAB box. This helps you memorize the TAB layout for chords so when you see them in songs you can quickly pick what chords they are. Also an easy way to search for chords.

2. 10 SECOND TEST:

Shuffle the pack and draw a card. Study the chord for 10 seconds and imagine which fingers you use and where to place them on the neck. After the 10 seconds is up, turn the card face down so you can’t see the chord and try to play it. Once you think you have played the chord properly, turn the card over to see if your hand is in the right position. This is a great way to memorize the chord positions faster.

3. MONKEY SONGWRITING:

Pick four cards and strum each chord four times. When you finish the last chord, think which chord sounds out of place and replace it with another card. Play the four chords again and replace any chord that you think could be better. Keep going until you have a good sounding progression. Who said songwriting had to be hard?

4. 1 DAY EAR-TRAINING:

Pick four random cards and record yourself playing each chord once on your computer or anything that can record sound (eg: mobile phone). Write down the order of the chords on a piece of paper then hide it. Leave the recording and shuffle the four cards. Next day, listen to the recording and try to figure out which chords are playing. Once you think you have worked out the order, check you piece of paper. Repeat this test every few days and you will learn to pick chords out just from listening to a song.

5. A CHORD A DAY:

This is a great way to memorize all the chord shapes. Simply pick a card out of the pack and carry it with you all day. Whether you have it in your pocket or sit it on your desk right below your computer screen, always have it with you to look at. Next day pick another card out of the pack. This may not seem like much work but if you keep this up you will be surprised how easily you memorize the shapes just by having the card in sight all the time. If you use this tip the right way you can potentially memorize all 50 chords in 50 days. That’s a lot of chords!

Have a great memory game idea for people to use their cards? Let us know here and we’ll add it to the list!